RAG Demo

Tag: Slow cooked

  • Rabri

    Rabri is the slow-cooked milk sweet of Varanasi, Mathura and the Braj region, where halwais reduce huge iron kadais of milk over wood fires and gently fan the surface so cream forms in layers. Those layers, or lachhas, are lifted onto the sides of the pan and folded back in at the end, giving rabri its distinctive flaky, lacy texture.

    The taste is pure milk, deepened by long cooking, sweetened lightly and perfumed with cardamom, saffron and sometimes rose water. Rabri is thick but spoonable, with soft shreds of malai throughout. It is served chilled in kulhads, clay cups that add their own earthy aroma. The flavour is gentle and milky.

    It is eaten on its own after a meal, or poured over jalebi, malpua or gulab jamun. It is a festive offering on Janmashtami and Holi in Braj, and a winter-evening treat across Uttar Pradesh. Making it at home takes time but little skill; the trick is a wide pan and patience. Buffalo milk, with its higher fat, gives the thickest rabri and the most generous layers.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineUttar Pradesh
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time5 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time95 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsfull-cream milk / sugar / cardamom / saffron

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 litres full-cream milk (buffalo milk is best)
    • 1/3 cup sugar
    • 1/2 tsp green cardamom powder
    • A pinch of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk
    • 1 tbsp pistachios, slivered
    • 1 tbsp almonds, slivered
    • 1/2 tsp rose water (optional)

    Method

    1. Pour the milk into a wide, heavy kadai and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
    2. Lower to a gentle simmer. Do not stir the surface; let a layer of cream form, 2 to 3 minutes.
    3. With a flat spatula, gently push the cream layer to the side of the kadai so it sticks there. Repeat each time a new layer forms, occasionally fanning the surface to speed up the skin.
    4. Every few minutes, scrape the bottom gently to prevent scorching, without breaking the floating cream.
    5. Continue for 70 to 80 minutes until the milk reduces to about a quarter of its volume and the sides are thick with cream layers.
    6. Add sugar and stir gently until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Scrape the cream from the sides into the milk with the spatula, keeping the layers in pieces.
    7. Stir in cardamom, saffron and rose water, cook 2 more minutes and switch off.
    8. Cool, then chill for at least 3 hours. Serve in kulhads garnished with pistachios and almonds.

    Tips

    • A wide pan gives more surface area for cream layers to form.
    • Add sugar only at the end – added early it prevents good malai formation.
    • If time is short, a little khoya or milk powder thickens rabri faster, though the lachhas will be fewer.

    Serve with

    Chilled in kulhads, or poured over hot jalebi or malpua.

  • Mutton Korma

    Korma means braising, and the Awadhi mutton korma is one of the foundation dishes of Lucknowi cooking. Unlike the creamy, nut-heavy restaurant kormas, the classic version is built on yogurt and a paste of deeply fried onions, cooked slowly so the meat absorbs the spices and the fat rises to the surface.

    The gravy is a rich brown, thick and glossy, with a warm aroma of cardamom, cloves, mace and a few drops of kewra. Heat is moderate, and the flavour comes from properly browned onions and slow cooking rather than heavy spice. The mutton should be tender enough to pull from the bone easily.

    Korma is a dish for Eid, weddings and Sunday lunches, eaten with sheermal, tandoori roti or plain rice. Lucknow's famous Idrees and Wahid shops serve it alongside biryani. Like most braised dishes, it tastes even better the next day, so it is a good choice when cooking for a gathering. Leftover gravy is delicious mopped up with a crisp paratha at breakfast.

    At a glance

    RegionUttar Pradesh
    CuisineAwadhi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time80 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / yogurt / fried onions / ghee

    Ingredients

    • 750 g bone-in mutton, curry cut
    • 1 cup thick curd, whisked
    • 1/2 cup ghee or oil
    • 3 large onions, thinly sliced
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 4 green cardamom, 2 black cardamom, 6 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves
    • 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 2 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1/4 tsp mace and green cardamom powder
    • 10 almonds, soaked and peeled (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp kewra water
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 1/2 cups hot water

    Method

    1. Heat ghee in a heavy pot on medium. Fry the sliced onions for 15 minutes, stirring, until evenly deep golden brown. Lift them out, leaving the ghee behind.
    2. Grind the fried onions with 3 tbsp curd (and the almonds, if using) to a smooth paste.
    3. In the same ghee, add the whole spices and let them crackle for 30 seconds. Add the mutton and salt and sear on high for 8 to 10 minutes until browned.
    4. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes. Lower the heat and add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric with a splash of water; stir 1 minute.
    5. Add the remaining curd gradually, stirring constantly, then the onion paste. Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes until the masala thickens and ghee separates.
    6. Pour in the hot water, cover and cook on low for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mutton is tender and the gravy thick with ghee floating on top.
    7. Add garam masala, mace-cardamom powder and kewra. Cover and leave on the lowest heat for 5 minutes, then rest before serving.

    Tips

    • The colour and flavour of the korma come from the fried onions; uneven or burnt onions make it bitter.
    • Use goat meat from the shoulder for the best balance of fat and tenderness.
    • Pressure cooking (4 to 5 whistles) speeds things up; reduce the water to 1 cup.

    Serve with

    Sheermal, tandoori roti or plain basmati rice.

  • Nihari

    Nihari comes from the Arabic word nahar, meaning morning, and in Old Delhi it was traditionally eaten after the dawn prayer. The dish is said to have been cooked in the Mughal kitchens of the late eighteenth century, and the shops around Jama Masjid and Ballimaran still cook it overnight in sealed degs and sell out within hours of opening.

    Bone-in shanks and marrow bones simmer for many hours in a broth spiced with a dedicated nihari masala of fennel, dried ginger, long pepper, mace and nutmeg. Roasted wheat flour thickens it into a silky, glossy gravy, and a slick of spiced ghee floats on top. The meat should fall off the bone at a touch.

    It is eaten with khamiri roti or kulcha, garnished at the table with julienned ginger, green chillies, coriander, fried onions and lemon. In homes it is a weekend or Eid breakfast, often cooked the night before. The bone marrow is a prized part, sucked out straight from the bone. It is very rich, so most people eat it slowly, with long breaks for tea.

    At a glance

    RegionDelhi
    CuisineMughlai
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time240 minutes
    Total time260 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmutton shanks / atta / ghee / nihari masala

    Ingredients

    For the nihari masala

    • 1 tbsp saunf (fennel)
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 2 pippali (long pepper)
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 black cardamom
    • 4 green cardamom
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 1 blade mace
    • 1/4 nutmeg
    • 1 tsp sonth (dry ginger) powder

    For the nihari

    • 1 kg mutton shanks (nalli) and bone-in pieces
    • 2 marrow bones (optional)
    • 1/2 cup ghee
    • 2 large onions, thinly sliced
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 8 cups hot water
    • 1/3 cup whole wheat atta mixed with 1 cup water

    To garnish

    • 2 inch ginger, julienned
    • 4 green chillies, sliced
    • Chopped coriander
    • Fried onions
    • Lemon wedges

    Method

    1. Dry-roast the whole spices for the nihari masala on low for 2 minutes until fragrant. Cool and grind fine with the sonth.
    2. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot on medium. Fry the onions for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden. Lift out half and keep for garnish.
    3. Add the mutton and marrow bones and sear on medium-high for 8 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry 2 minutes.
    4. Add chilli powders, coriander, turmeric, salt and 2 tbsp of the nihari masala. Stir-fry 3 minutes, adding a splash of water if the spices stick.
    5. Pour in the hot water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly (seal the lid with dough if you like) and cook on the lowest heat for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat comes away from the bone easily.
    6. Meanwhile, dry-roast the atta in a small pan on low for 5 minutes until it smells nutty and turns light brown, then whisk it into 1 cup water until smooth.
    7. Skim off some of the fat from the top of the pot and reserve it. Stir the atta mixture into the nihari and simmer, stirring, for 20 to 25 minutes until silky and thick.
    8. Heat the reserved fat with 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tsp nihari masala and pour over the top before serving. Garnish at the table.

    Tips

    • Shanks give the gelatinous body nihari is known for; boneless meat will not.
    • A pressure cooker cuts the cooking to about 50 minutes, but the slow-cooked version is noticeably silkier.
    • Nihari reheats well; it thickens on cooling, so loosen with hot water.

    Serve with

    Khamiri roti or kulcha, with ginger, green chillies, fried onions and lemon.

  • Dal Makhani

    Dal makhani is the richer, festive cousin of maa ki dal, the everyday whole urad dal eaten in Punjabi villages. The buttery restaurant version was popularised by the same Delhi kitchens that gave us butter chicken, and it borrowed the same idea: a tomato-butter base, plenty of cream and long, patient cooking over the embers of a tandoor.

    The magic of the dish is time. Black urad simmered for hours breaks down into a velvety, almost silky body, while the kidney beans keep a little bite. The flavour is deep and earthy rather than spicy, with ginger, garlic and Kashmiri chilli in the background and a gentle smokiness if you finish it with a hot coal.

    It is the vegetarian centrepiece of Punjabi weddings and Sunday lunches, and it actually tastes better the next day once the flavours settle. Serve it with naan, tandoori roti or jeera rice, alongside a simple salad and a glass of chaas. Many restaurants keep a pot simmering at the back of the stove all day, and home cooks often start it in the morning for a dinner the same evening.

    At a glance

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time105 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientswhole black urad dal / rajma / butter / cream / tomato

    Ingredients

    For cooking the dal

    • 1 cup whole black urad dal (sabut urad)
    • 1/4 cup rajma (red kidney beans)
    • 5 cups water
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 inch ginger, sliced

    For the masala

    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 1 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 cup fresh tomato puree (about 3 tomatoes)
    • 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp kasuri methi
    • 1/3 cup fresh cream
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Wash the urad and rajma together 3 to 4 times, rubbing between your palms, until the water runs mostly clear. Soak in plenty of water for 8 to 10 hours.
    2. Drain, add to a pressure cooker with 5 cups fresh water, salt and ginger. Cook on high for 1 whistle, then on low for 25 to 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
    3. Check that the rajma crushes easily between your fingers and the urad is soft. Mash a ladleful of dal against the side with the back of a spoon to start the creamy texture.
    4. In a heavy pan, heat 2 tbsp butter and the ghee on medium. Add cumin and the bay leaf; when the cumin crackles, add onion and fry 6 to 8 minutes until golden.
    5. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook a minute, then add tomato puree and chilli powder. Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes until the masala thickens and fat separates at the edges.
    6. Pour in the cooked dal with its water and stir well. Add a cup of hot water if it looks too thick. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to the minimum.
    7. Simmer uncovered for 40 to 60 minutes, stirring and mashing lightly every 10 minutes so it does not catch. The dal should turn dark, glossy and creamy.
    8. Add garam masala, crushed kasuri methi, the remaining butter and most of the cream. Simmer 5 more minutes, check salt, and swirl the rest of the cream on top when serving.

    Tips

    • The long simmer matters more than the amount of butter – do not rush the last stage.
    • Make it a day ahead; reheat with a splash of water, as it thickens considerably overnight.
    • For dhungar smoke, place a glowing coal in a small bowl on the dal, drizzle ghee over it and cover tightly for 2 minutes.

    Serve with

    Butter naan, tandoori roti or jeera rice, with onion salad and chaas.

  • Pork Vindaloo

    Vindaloo descends from the Portuguese carne de vinha d'alhos, meat marinated in wine and garlic, which Goan cooks adapted using local palm vinegar and plenty of red chillies. Over centuries it became the signature Goan Catholic dish, made for Christmas, weddings and feasts. It has little in common with the potato-filled, fiercely hot versions found in British curry houses.

    A true vindaloo is tangy, garlicky and spicy rather than simply hot. The pork, ideally shoulder with some fat, is marinated overnight in a paste of Kashmiri chillies, garlic, ginger, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon and vinegar, then cooked slowly until meltingly tender. The gravy is deep red, rich and slightly sweet from the onions.

    Vindaloo keeps well and improves over several days, which made it popular for feasts and travel. It is eaten with sannas, pao or steamed rice. In Goan homes, a large pot of vindaloo is made before Christmas and eaten over several days. The vinegar acts as a preservative, and the flavours deepen with every reheat.

    At a glance

    RegionGoa
    CuisineGoan
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time90 minutes
    Total time120 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspork / kashmiri chillies / garlic / vinegar

    Ingredients

    For the vindaloo paste

    • 15 dried Kashmiri chillies
    • 4 dried spicy chillies
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 8 cloves
    • 2 inch cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 15 garlic cloves
    • 2 inch ginger
    • 1/2 cup coconut or palm vinegar

    For the curry

    • 1 kg pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces with some fat
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 3 onions, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp sugar or grated jaggery
    • 1 cup hot water

    Method

    1. Soak the chillies in the vinegar for 1 hour. Grind them with the vinegar and all other paste ingredients to a fine paste.
    2. Mix the pork with the paste and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
    3. Heat oil in a heavy pot on medium. Add onions and cook for 10-12 minutes until deep golden brown.
    4. Add the marinated pork with all its marinade. Fry on medium-high for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until the meat is sealed and the paste starts to darken.
    5. Add sugar and hot water, stir and bring to a boil.
    6. Cover and simmer on low for 60-75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the pork is very tender and the gravy is thick and deep red with fat on top.
    7. Taste and adjust salt, vinegar and sugar. Rest for at least an hour, or better, overnight, before serving.

    Tips

    • Use pork with some fat; lean meat dries out during the long cook.
    • Palm or coconut vinegar gives the authentic flavour; malt vinegar can be harsh.
    • Vindaloo tastes best on the second or third day.

    Serve with

    Goan pao, sannas or steamed rice.

  • Kosha Mangsho

    Kosha mangsho means mutton that has been 'koshano' – stirred and seared slowly in its own masala until the oil separates and the meat turns deep brown. Kolkata's Golbari, a small eatery in Shyambazar, made it famous, and in many Bengali homes it is still the centrepiece of a Sunday lunch or a festive meal after Durga Puja.

    The gravy is thick, almost dry, and dark from long bhuna rather than from food colour. Mustard oil, whole garam masala, a touch of sugar to caramelise the onions, and plenty of ginger and garlic give it a rich, slightly sweet and pungent character. Potatoes are often added for those who like them, and the dish tastes even better the next day.

    At a glance

    RegionWest Bengal
    CuisineBengali
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time105 minutes
    Total time125 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmutton / onion / yogurt / mustard oil

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 1 kg mutton (curry cut, with bone)
    • 1/2 cup thick curd
    • 1 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1 tbsp garlic paste
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
    • 2 tbsp mustard oil
    • 1 tsp salt

    For cooking

    • 5 tbsp mustard oil
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 4 green cardamoms
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 inch cinnamon stick
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 4 large onions, finely sliced
    • 2 medium potatoes, halved (optional)
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 tsp garam masala powder
    • 1 tbsp ghee
    • Salt to taste

    Method

    1. Mix the mutton with all the marinade ingredients and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
    2. If using potatoes, rub them with salt and turmeric and fry in 1 tbsp mustard oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
    3. Heat the remaining mustard oil in a heavy pot until smoking, then lower to medium. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, then the sugar. Let the sugar melt and caramelise for 20-30 seconds.
    4. Add the sliced onions and fry on medium heat for 15-18 minutes, stirring often, until they are deep golden brown.
    5. Add the marinated mutton with all the marinade. Raise the heat to high for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, then lower to medium-low.
    6. Add cumin powder, coriander powder and green chillies. Cover and cook, opening every 5-7 minutes to stir and scrape the bottom, for about 45 minutes. The meat releases its own water; add 2-3 tbsp hot water only if it sticks.
    7. Once the masala turns dark brown and the oil floats at the edges, add the fried potatoes and 1/2 cup hot water. Cover and cook on low for another 30-40 minutes until the mutton is tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
    8. Uncover and keep stirring on medium heat for 5 minutes until the gravy is thick and clinging. Finish with garam masala and ghee, rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Use meat from the shoulder or a mix with some fat and bone – lean leg pieces turn dry in the long bhuna.
    • To save time, pressure cook after step 6 for 3-4 whistles, then open and dry off the gravy on high heat.
    • The colour should come from patient browning of onions and meat; resist adding more chilli powder to darken it.

    Serve with

    Luchi, basanti pulao or plain steamed rice, with sliced onion and green chilli.

  • Hyderabadi Haleem

    Haleem came to Hyderabad from Arab soldiers in the Nizam's army and is now the defining food of Ramzan in the city, so famous that it carries a Geographical Indication tag. Through the fasting month, eateries cook it overnight in huge brick bhattis, the meat and grain stirred and pounded for hours with long wooden ghotnis.

    It is thick, sticky and smooth, with the meat fully broken into strands that bind with the wheat and lentils. The flavour is meaty and gently spiced, lifted at the table with ghee, fried onions, mint, ginger juliennes and lemon. It is eaten at iftar to break the fast, as a rich, filling meal.

    At a glance

    RegionTelangana
    CuisineHyderabadi
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time180 minutes
    Total time210 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmutton / broken wheat / lentils / ghee / fried onions

    Ingredients

    For the grains

    • 1 cup broken wheat (dalia) or whole wheat, soaked 4 hours
    • 2 tbsp chana dal
    • 2 tbsp toor dal
    • 1 tbsp urad dal
    • 1 tbsp moong dal
    • 2 tbsp barley (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the meat

    • 750 g boneless mutton, plus a few bones for flavour
    • 1 cup curd
    • 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp garam masala
    • 6 green chillies, crushed
    • 1/2 cup chopped mint
    • 1/2 cup chopped coriander
    • 1 cup fried onions
    • 1/4 cup ghee
    • 1.5 tsp salt
    • 4 cups water

    For topping

    • 1/4 cup ghee
    • 1 cup fried onions
    • 1 inch ginger, julienned
    • mint and coriander leaves
    • lemon wedges
    • cashews fried in ghee (optional)

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked wheat, dals and barley with turmeric, salt and 5 cups water for 8-10 whistles until completely soft. Blend or mash to a smooth paste.
    2. In a large heavy pot, heat the ghee and add the mutton, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and green chillies. Fry on high heat for 5 minutes.
    3. Add curd, garam masala, salt, half the mint and coriander, the fried onions and 4 cups water. Pressure cook for 6-8 whistles, or simmer covered for 1.5 hours, until the mutton falls apart.
    4. Remove the bones. Shred the meat with two forks, or pulse briefly in a blender with its stock, until it is in fine strands.
    5. Combine the meat and its stock with the wheat-lentil paste in the heavy pot. Cook on low heat for 40-60 minutes, stirring and beating vigorously with a wooden masher every few minutes, until the mixture is thick, stretchy and smooth and the meat is completely amalgamated. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
    6. Stir in the remaining mint and coriander. The haleem should be thick but spoonable, with ghee glistening on top.
    7. To serve, ladle into bowls, pour hot ghee over each and top with fried onions, ginger, mint, coriander and cashews, with lemon on the side.

    Tips

    • The long, patient beating is what gives haleem its silky, elastic texture; do not skip it.
    • Use a mix of bone-in and boneless mutton for better flavour.
    • Haleem thickens as it cools; loosen leftovers with hot water while reheating.

    Serve with

    Lemon wedges and extra fried onions; Hyderabadis often add a spoon of shorba.